1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information reproducer and an information creating unit, and more particularly to an information processing system wherein sound information converted into two-dimensional bar code is related to visual information (an information source such as document information, image information and graphic information) which has been utilized by various document processors such as a Japanese word processor, various image processors such as an optical file, and communication terminals, POS terminals, cash registers having various information transferring functions and the like, the related information thus obtained is printed on a printing sheet, and the visual information and the sound information are connected together based on the related information which is printed so as to transfer information.
2. Description of the Related Art
At present, a record medium such as a printing sheet or a floppy disk has mainly been used as means for interchanging and distributing information. Every document and image information is recorded on the record medium. However, a printing sheet having bar code descriptions has been proposed in place of the record medium. The code descriptions encode and describe document information, image information and the like.
If such a printing sheet is used to interchange and distribute data, costs can be reduced as compared with the case where a floppy disk is used. In addition, the printing sheet serves for security because data cannot directly be decoded.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent No. 5-12288 has disclosed an information processor in which document information and the encoded document information are printed and used. According to the information processor described above, the document information is converted into the encoded information having one-dimensional bar code such as JIS code, and the encoded information thus obtained is printed on a recording sheet. The recording sheet is read and inverted as required, so that the encoded information is returned to the document information for use. In the case where the recording sheet is copied or transmitted by a facsimile, the encoded information is not degraded and information absence or error can be prevented from occurring very often.
However, since information volume expressed in bar code which can be recorded on a printing sheet or the like is small, application is restricted. For example, the printing sheet is not suitable for encoded sound information.
Sound information is generally recorded on a record medium such as a magnetic tape or a CD. Instead, a printing sheet which records the sound information in two-dimensional bar code having a mesh pattern has been considered.
The two-dimensional bar code means a mark (two dimensional pattern) which can optically be read and given to virtual matrix (two-dimensional) lattice.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent No. 3-11482 has disclosed a sound recording method and device and a sound reproducing method and device wherein sound information is printed on a printing sheet in two-dimensional bar code. According to the sound recording method and device and the sound reproducing method and device, a sound is digitized, and the digital data thus obtained is converted into an image having a mesh pattern so as to be printed on a printing sheet. Inversely, the printing sheet on which the image having a mesh pattern is printed is read by an image reader, digitized and analog-converted so that a sound can be reproduced.
Although sound information can be printed on the sheet, it is not related to other printing information on the periphery. The sound information recorded on a sheet is only reproduced as a group of sound information and cannot be further utilized.
Accordingly, if it is possible to relate the sound information to other visual information, and to reproduce the sound information as required, and call and edit the visual information corresponding to the sound information, additional values can be obtained.
There have been known an apparatus in which the document for plural pages can be reduced and printed on a sheet (for example, see Japanese Laid-Open Patent No. 61-177068) and an apparatus in which a plurality of document information are collectively outputted to a single-unit copying sheet, the abstract of the document information stored in a storage sheet is created and retrieval information is added to a copying sheet (for example, see Japanese Laid-Open Patent No. 3-291754).
However, even though plural kinds of information such as document information, image information and the like are reduced, printed and arranged on a sheet, and such information is read from the printing sheet by a scanner, the information are not reduced by encoding so that it is hard to restore and reuse them as type information.